Artificial breast brassiere



1953 M. K. KESTER 3,099,839

ARTIFICIAL BREAST BRASSIERE Filed May 29, 1961 INVENTOR. MAQAQET l4. KEQTEK BY m M.

United states harem @i 3,699,839 ARTH KCEAL BREAST BRASSERE Margaret K. Kester, 3021 E. 51st St, Kansas City, Mo. Filed May 29, 1961, Ser. No. 113,266 3 Claims. (Cl. 3-36) This invention relates to supports or brassieres for artificial breasts, and more particularly to the supporting of a breast form to restore appearance and shape to individuals whose breast or portion thereof has been amputated or removed.

In most cases, after a surgical operation, such as a mastectomy, for removing part or all of a breast or breasts, the figure of the person presents an abnormal or nnpleasing appearance, and many attempts have been made to devise artificial breasts and supports to simulate the form of the womans breast. Some of the forms heretofore constructed are subject to many objections as, for example, difiiculty of cleaning, irritant material, and other factors that produce discomfort to the wearer as the form must be positioned in intimate contact with the person. Various breast forms have heretofore been marketed as, for example, forms of the type shown and described in United States Patent No. 2,542,619 issued February 20, 1951. Such forms were designed to be positioned in a brassiere of suitable size for the person with the breast form in the pocket or cup of the brassiere with the rear wall of the breast form engaging the person, but such structure still presents problems due to shifting or movement out of natural position in response to body movements and movements of the arms of the person during work and exercise. The constant shifting of the form to abnormal positions results in embarrassment and mental stress to the wearer.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide an artificial breast form support that is conformable to the shape of the breast or remainder of the breast of the wearer and that may be worn for long periods of time without discomfort; to provide such a form and support or brassiere wherein the breast form is retained in the brassiere cup and the brassiere maintains same in substantially normal position during various arm and body movements; to provide such a structure with a pilelike fabric thereon between the cups and adapted to engage the wearer to aid in retaining the brassiere and form in place on the wearer in substantially normal position; to provide such a structure with form retaining strips at the rear or opening of the cup to retain the form in the cup yet permit removal of same for cleaning; and to provide a breast form and support that is economical to manufacture, that may be worn without discomfort and that will serve to provide a substantially normal appearance during customary body and arm movements.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a breast form and support or brassiere shown in position on a female figure.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the inside of the front of the brassiere with a breast form positioned in the right cup thereof.

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view through the brassiere and form taken on the line 3-3, FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view through the brassiere and form taken on the line 44, FIG. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a brassiere or breast support comprising a body portion 2 hav- 3,999,839 Patented Aug. 6, 1963 ing spaced forwardly extending portions 3 with walls 4 defining breast-receiving pockets or cups 5 of suitable size and shape to accommodate the breasts of a person and support same in a conventional manner. The brassiere has outwardly extending tapered wings 6 at the sides 7 of the body portion which are adapted to extend around the sides of the wearer to adjacent the center of the back. The free ends 8 of the wings are provided with suitable fastening means 9 enabling them to be attached relative to each other to hold the brassiere in place on the body of the wearer. The brassiere preferably has a lower or bottom band 10 having elasticity to adapt it to yield to permit the brassiere to adjust itself to the body contours of the wearer. The band 10 preferably extends across the entire body portion of the brassiere and is also secured as at 11 to vertical stays or strips substantially midway between the breast pockets or cups. An upper band or tape 12 is secured to the upper portion of the body portion and extends from the vertical strips 11 upwardly and outwardly above the cups or pockets 5 and then downwardly to the inner edges of the wings 6 as at 13. In the illustrated structure, shoulder straps 14 are connected to the upper tapes 12 over the pockets 5, said shoulder straps being adjustable by adjustment members 15 as in conventional practice whereby the shoulder straps aid in supporting the brassiere on the wearer. It is to be understood that the brassiere structure described in the above may be varied and generally of conventional structure w'th the improvements hereafter described incorporated therein to adapt the brassiere structure to support a breast form.

The brassiere may be adapted to accommodate a breast form 16 on either side in accordance with whichever breast or portion thereof removed by surgery, such as mastectomy, the form 16 being preferably of the same size as the removed breast whereby it will simulate the appearance of the other natural breast. Forms are made to simulate either the right or left breast and, in the illustrated structure, the form 16 is to simulate the right breast. While the form may be of any suitable structure, in the illustrated structure, it is generally of the type illustrated in the Bernhardt Patents Nos. 2,542,619 or 2,593,002 wherein a liquid 1'7 is retained in a flexible liquid-retaining cell 13 and said cell enclosed in a flexible envelope 19 preferably of a fabric, with the cell having a back wall 20 normally engaging a back wall 21 of the envelope which back wall 21 is normally in fabric positioned toward and engaged with the person of the wearer. The front wall 22 of the envelope is suitably secured to the rear wall 21 with the end margins turned outwardly to provide an annular flange 2?: of suitable width around the rear of the envelope.

The form 16 is removably mounted in the corresponding pocket 5 of the brassiere and is removably retained therein by a plurality of tapes '24 and 25. In the illustrated structure, the tapes are substantially non-stretchable and are arranged in angular relation to each other. The upper ends 26 of the crossed tapes are spaced and suitably secured by stitching or the like 27 to the upper tape or band 12 and are preferably substantially equally spaced from the center portion 28 above the pocket or the portion to which the shoulder strap 14 is secured. The cross straps are angularly disposed, preferably at degrees or the like, and the lower end of the strap 25 is secured as at 29 to the body portion of the fabric in outwardly and downwardly spaced relation to the pocket 5. The lower end 36 of the strap 24 is suitably secured to the body portion of the brassiere in inwardly and downwardly spaced relation relative to the pocket by suitable fastening means such as stitching 3-1. In the illustrated structure, the lower end of the strap or crossed tape 24 is secured to the body portion through a center padding material 32. The padding material is preferably a form of pile fabric with the pile surface 33 of the fabric facing the wearer or rearwardly of the brassiere. A suitable material is a soft fleecy pile fabric commonly referred to in the trade as plush, and is preferably of a suitable width to extend between the pockets of the brassiere and its upper and lower edges 34 and 35 respectively are secured to the upper tape 12 and the lower band by suitable fastening means such as rows of stitching 36 and 37. Also, the fleece material or plush is preferably secured on a vertical row of stitching 38 to the body portion of the brassiere, the side edges 39 of the plushing being free between the lower and upper bands and 12 respectively.

The form may be removed or inserted into the respective pocket 5 by moving same between the crossed tapes 24 and 25, such movement being possible due to the flexibility of the material of the brassiere and the crossed tapes. When the form is in place in the respective pocket and turned to position same therein to conform to an appearance and position of the natural breast, the flange 23 of the form 16 at the inner side thereof is drawn substantially to the center of the brassiere velope will overlie the adjacent portion of the plush 32 and is removably secured at the center of the brassiere by suitable fastening device 40 such as a safety pin or the thereby retaining the form whereby it cannot rotate in the pocket. With the breast form removably mounted in the respective cup or pocket of the brassiere and secured, as illustrated and described, the brassiere may be placed on the wearer with the breast form overlying the location of the breast removed by the mastectomy and the brassiere adjusted to fit properly with desired tightness on the wearer. The engagement of the fleece or pile of the plush 32 with the skin of the wearer provides a friction or adherence that tends to hold the center portion of the brassiere in place. The cross straps or tapes 24 and and the fastening device tend to hold the breast form lfi in; place in the brassiere, and preferably the form has substantialy the normal weight of the natural breast so that during and after movements of the wearer the brassiere will remain in the normal position whereby the wearer hasat all times the appearance of having a natural bust. I p

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described one form of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with an artificial breast form having a fluid-retaining cell enclosed in a flexible envelope substantially of the size and shape of a human breast to be simulated and having a rear wall of the envelope extending outwardly'and defining a flange, a brassiere comprising a body portion and wing portions extending outwardly therefrom and adapted to be secured whereby the brassiere will extend around a person and retained in position thereon, spaced breast sustaining pockets on said body portion extending forwardly therefrom when the body portion is engaged with a person, a fabric member having upper and lower margins secured adjacent upper and lower margins of the body portion in covering relation to saidbody portion between the pockets thereof, said fabric memher having a soft pile rear face for engaging the body of a person with a relatively non-slip engagement, said artificial breast being adapted to be removably positioned in a corresponding pocket with the rear wall toward the person, means securing the flange of the artificial 'breast to said fabric member.

2. in combination with an artificial breast form having a fluid-retaining cell enclosed in a flexible envelope substantially of the size and shape of a human breast to be simulated and having a rear wall of the envelope extending outwardly and defining a flange, a brassiere comprising a body portion and wing portion-s extending outwardly therefrom and adapted to be secured whereby the brassiere will extend around a person and be retained in position thereon, spaced breast sustaining pockets on said body portion extending forwardly therefromwhen the the contour of the person, per band secured to the upper margin of the body portion and extending over the pockets therein, a fabric member secured on the rear of the body portion between the pockets with side edges adjacent the respective pockets, said fabric member having upper and lower margins secured relative tively to the upper andlower bands on opposite sides of said one pocket.

3. In a brassiere cured adjacent body portion adapted to engage and retain said artificial breast form in the respective pocket.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,502,524 Keller Apr. 4, 1950 2,641,763 Schroeder June 16, 1953 2,657,386 Wolif Nov. 3, 1953 2,698,436 Bernhardt Jan. 4, 1955 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN ARTIFICIAL BREAST FORM HAVING A FLUID-RETAINING CELL ENCLOSED IN A FLEXIBLE ENVELOPE SUBSTANTIALLY OF THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF A HUMAN BREAST TO BE SIMULATED AND HAVING A REAR WALL OF THE ENVELOPE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DEFINING A FLANGE, A BRASSIERE COMPRISING A BODY PORTION AND WING PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED WHEREBY THE BRASSIERE WILL EXTEND AROUND A PERSON AND RETAINED IN POSITION THEREON, SPACED BREAST SUSTAINING POCKETS ON SAID BODY PORTION EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM WHEN THE BODY PORTION IS ENGAGED WITH A PERSON, A FABRIC MEMBER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER MARGINS SECURED ADJACENT UPPER AND LOWER MARGINS OF THE BODY PORTION IN COVERING RELATION TO SAID BODY PORTION BETWEEN THE POCKETS THEREOF, SAID FABRIC MEMBER HAVING A SOFT PILE REAR FACE FOR ENGAGING THE BODY OF A PERSON WITH A RELATIVELY NON-SLIP ENGAGEMENT, SAID ARTIFICIAL BREAST BEING ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY POSITIONED IN A CORRESPONDING POCKET WITH THE REAR WALL TOWARD THE PERSON, MEANS SECURING THE FLANGE OF THE ARTIFICIAL BREAST TO SAID FABRIC MEMBER. 